Two-wheeled vehicle



(No Model.) s Sheets-Sheet 1.

- F. L. PERRY.

A Home y (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' P. L. PERRY.

Two WHEELED VEHICLE. No. 278,041. Patented May 22,1883.

WITNESSES //v VE/VTOI? N. PETERS, Phclainhognphy. Wuhmian, 0,5.

(No Model.) 3 Sneets- -Sheet 3.

F.L.PERRY.

TWO WHEELED VEHICLE.

No. 278,041 Patented y 22,1883.

- Wl/TA/ESSES //V VE/VTOH M Afforney NITED- STATE FRANCIS L. PERRY, OF UANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK.

PATENT OFFICE.

TWO-WHEELED VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,041, dated May 22, 1883..

Application filed September 15. 1882. (No model.)

To all whom 7.1? may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS L. PERRY, of lanandaigua, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Two Wheel Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others sliilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. 4

My invention relates to an improvement in two wheeled vehicles, such as dog carts, sulkies, and gigs, and more particularly to devices designed to obviate the motion charac tcristic of them.

A further object of my invention is to provide devices for obviating the rocking motion of vehicles of the character designated, which shall combine simplicity and eheapness of construction with durability and efficiency in use.

With these objectsin view my invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be. hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in vertical longitudinal section of a dogcart embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a dog-car provided with one of the modified forms which my invention may assume. Fig. 3 represents a detached view of devices for'securing the seat of the cart, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cart, with parts removed;

A represents the body of a dog-cart, which maybe of any approved style and construction.

The dash-board B is provided with two holes, 0, the same being designed to receive the inner ends of the shafts 1), which extend inwardly into the body of the cart.

In order to give sufficient room between the 4 shafts, and at the same time to adapt-their crum for the shafts.

ends to be introduced into the cart, they are contracted, the contraction beginning at or near the whiffletree E. The under faces of the inner ends of the said shafts are provided with bearings, which receive the rod F, mounted in the body of the vehicle, and constituting a ful- The said bearin g consists of plates G, adapted to be secured to the shafts, and provided with sleeves H, which receive the rod F aforesaid, the said sleeves being extended inwardly to give a wider bearing to the shafts, enabling them the better to resist any tendencies to lateral motion to which they may be subjected. -Aside from its function as 5 a fulcrum, the rod F is adapted, by the position it occupies, to be utilized as a footrest.

Plates I, secured in vertical position to the inner faces of the sides of the cart, are provided near their upper and lower ends with inwardly-projecting studs J, upon which oscilating bearings K are mounted. The said bean in gs are provided with transverse apertures L, which receive the free ends of springs M, attached to the upper and lower faces of the inner ends of the shafts. The exposed faces of the bearings, as well as the upper and lower faces of the shafts, are provided with cushions N, of rubber or other equivalent material, the same being designed to deaden the shock of contact between the bearings and the shafts. The springs M, which support the inner ends of the shafts in normal positions of equidistance between the upper and lower bearings of their respective plates, are alternately brought into 7 5 play by the motion imparted to the shafts by the horse. When, for instance, the inner ends of the shafts are elevated against the force of the springs attached to their upper faces, the free ends of the said springs will be forced 8o farther into the transverse apertures ot' the bearin gs, th us virtually shortening the springs, their stiffness, and hence their ability to resist the deflection of the shafts, being increased in direct ratio as they are shortened. 8

The depression of the inner .ends of the shafts is accompanied. by the same action as regards the springs attached to their lower faces, as has been above described for the springs attached to their upper faces. The adjustment of the springs to maintain the inner ends of the shafts in their normal positions of equidistance from the upper and lower bearings of their respective plates being that of equilibrium, and inasmuch as provision is 5 made for considerable latitude of deflection, all motions imparted to the shafts by thehorse in ordinary travel will be completely taken up by the springs, the body of the vehicle being relieved of all rocking motion; also, in vir- 10o tue of the arrangement for shortening and stiffening the springs, and hence increasing their ability to resist tendencies to deflection in the ratio of its degree, motions of the shafts, which, from their violence, would otherwise be imparted to the body of the vehicle, are in great measure, if not entirely, counteracted.

When the shafts of two-wheeled vehicles are not supported, as by attachment to a horse, the weightof the vehicle is thrown forward onto them. As ordinarily constructed this does no harm, but in vehicles embodying my invention it is otherwise, for the whole weight of the vehicle is thrown on the springs attached to the lower faces of theshafts. After a time this will weaken the said springs and destroy the equilibrium of the adjustment of the inner ends of the shafts. This difficulty is avoided by locking the said ends of the shafts in position of equidistance from the bearings when the vehicle is not in .use; and this may be done in several ways, one of which is shown in the drawings. The illustrated device consists of two locks, O, pivotally mounted in the body of the vehicle and normally held out of engagement with the inner ends of the shafts by means of springsI. Foot-levers Q, located within the body of the vehicle and in position to be operated by the occupant thereof, are connected with the locks O O by means of links or levers S. When desired to lock the ends of the shafts in rigid adjustment the foot-levers are thrown forward to engage thelocks with the ends of the shafts, this adjustment being maintained by the engagement of the footlevers with suitable locking devices.

The position of the seat of a two-wheeled vehicle depends upon the weight of its load, and as this increases or decreases the seat should be moved forward or backward respectively. As the load varies frequently, it is both convenient and desirable to provide vehicles of this character with adjustable seats. With this end in view I have provided my improved vehicle with an adjustable seat, which consists of the seat T, suitably mounted on the body of the vehicle and adapted to be actuated forward and back by means of a roller, U, the ends of which are journaled in the opposite sides of the body of the vehicle. Straps V, encircling the said roller U, and having their ends attached to the under face of the seat, are designed to impart thereto the motions of the roller, which is operated by an extension, X, and which is locked to retain the seat in any desired position by means of a pawl, Y, secured to a rod, Z, mounted in the body of the vehicle, the said pawl being adapted to engage with the cogs A, formed on the inner face of the extension X. The said rod is provided on its under face with cams B, which engage with the under face of the seat when the pawl'is disengaged from the extension X to permit the roller to be actuated, the seat being elevated by the cams above the sides of the vehicle, upon which itrests. To further facilitate the adjustment of the seat and reduce the friction the cams are provided. with small rollers 0, arranged substantially as shown.

.wsaou In Fig. 4 of the drawings, which shows a modification of my improvement, the shafts are located outside of the body of the vehicle instead of being extended thereinto, which renders it necessaryto secure the plates to the outer faces of the sides of the vehicle.

It should be remarked that the adjustment of the shafts, to correspond with the heights ot'different horses, maybe effected by moving the studs on the plates I, which are perforated, as shown, for the purpose.

Inasmuch as the riding qualities of vehicles are greatly im proved by a parallel arrangement of the lines of draft, I prefer to mount the bodies of vehicles embodying my invention upon side springs, F, which co-operate with the shafts as by me arranged to produce a much easier riding vehicle than could be obtained by the use of springs arranged transversely ot' the vehicle-body.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but that I hold myself at liberty to make such slightchanges and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a two-wheeled vehicle, of shafts fulcrumed at or nearthe forward end of the body thereof and extending rearward from the fulcrum, springs secured to the upper and lower faces of the inner ends of the shafts, and oscillating bearings secured to the body of the vehicle and adapted to receive the free ends of the springs, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a two-wheeled vehicle, of shafts fulcrumed at or near the forward end thereof and extending rearward from y the fulcrum, of springs secured to the upper and lower faces of the inner ends of the shafts, bearings to receive thefree ends of the springs, and cushions associated with the upper and lower faces of the shafts and with the bearings, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a two-wheeled vehicle, of shafts fulcrumed at or near the forward end of the body thereof and extending rearwardly from the fulcrum, springs secured to the upper and lower faces of the inner ends of the shafts, plates secured to the body of the vehicle, studs projecting from said plates, and bearings mounted on the studs and adapted to receive the free ends of the springs, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a two-wheeled vehicle, of shafts fulcrumed at or near the forward end of the body thereof and extending rearward from the fulcrum, springs secured to the upper and lower faces of the inner ends of the shafts, and oscillating bearings consisting of blocks of wood traversed by apertures adapted to receive the free ends of the springs, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a two-wheeled ve- 27s,041 a v s hicle, of shafts fulcrumcd at or near the forto move the seat by actuating the roller, a

ward end of the body thereof and extending rearward from the fulcrum, springs attached to the upper and. lower faces of the shafts, perforated plates secured to the body of the vehicle, adjustable studs projecting from said plates, and bearings mounted upon said studs and adapted to receive the free ends of the springs, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination, with a two-wheeled vehicle, of shafts fulcrumed at or near the forward end of the body thereof andextending rearward into the body of the vehicle,the inner ends of the shafts being suitably bent for that purpose, springs secured to, the upper and lower faces of theinner ends of the shafts, and oscillating bearings to receive the free ends of a the springs, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a two-wheeled vehicle, of a seat, a roller mounted in the body of the vehicle and having an exteusiommeans v pawl to engage with the extension of the roller, and a rod provided with cams arranged to lift the seat, the pawl being attached to said rod, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with a two-wheeled vehicle, of a seat, means to move the same forward and backward, arod mounted in the body of the vehicle and provided with cams arranged to engage with the lower face of the seat and to elevate it, said cams being provided with anti-friction rollers, substantially as set forth.,

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS L, PERRY. 

